This Old House
by 2queens1prince
Summary: Elizabeth and Henry meet while Elizabeth in renovating her parents' home. A lilacmermaid prompt. Rated M for chapters down the line.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I've been working on this story for what seems like forever, probably not really, but I got stuck two or three times and had to let it sit a week or two and come back to it. This is a lilacmermaid prompt and I loved it and had part of chapter one planned out in my head within a few minutes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Please let me know what you think.

Madam Secretary Prompt: When Henry and Elizabeth first meet, she has just taken possession of her parent's old house, and is in the middle of renovating it all on her own.

August 1986

Elizabeth pulled up in front of the house and parked. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach as she walked up the sidewalk toward the her old home. She hadn't physically been on the property since a month after the accident when Aunt Joan helped them pack their belongings. That was a little over three years ago.

The porch step creaked when she walked up the steps and it broke her heart to see everything so worn and unkempt. Elizabeth's Aunt Joan did a fair job taking care of the big things. She hired a guy to mow the law and make sure nothing terrible happened, but for the most part, nothing had been done to the house in three years. She was surprised as she ran her fingernail under the chipping paint and watched it flutter down slipping between the cracks in the wooden porch. Things go downhill quickly when they aren't attended.

That situation was about to change. When Joan came to her and her brother, Will, saying that it was time to consider selling the house, Elizabeth adamantly refused. After quite a bit of back and forth, Elizabeth said she would buy Will's half of the house and live in it during college. Both Joan and her trust lawyer warned her that it was a mighty undertaking, but Elizabeth would hear nothing of it. She wasn't going to lose her family's home, no matter what.

Placing the key in the deadbolt, she unlocked the door and pushed it open. The air was heavy and stale. As she moved, she could see the dust she kicked up dancing in the light shining through the window in the front room. Most of the furniture was gone, except for an odd piece here and there, that no family member laid claim to, but Elizabeth didn't care. It was her home, and though it would never be the same without her parents, she could make it hers and keep those memories alive. She could feel their love here.

After wandering through the main floor, she went into the back yard. Elizabeth took a deep breath and made her way to the two large oak trees in the center of the yard, The trees had been planted by her parents when they moved into this house. A broken swing hung from one and a rotted rope ladder hung from a branch on the other. She placed her hand on the rough bark of the tree, and lightly ran her hand over it. She was home. She shook off the feeling of despair and headed back into the house.

Elizabeth took a walk through the entire house with her dog-eared copy of _This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating and Renovating an Older House_ tucked under her arm and set out looking for leaks, foundation damage and evidence of other problems as the book suggested. Thankful that both the power and water were on, she investigated all areas. Finding nothing big, she returned to her car to fetch several loads of cleaning supplies, a step ladder that had been expertly threaded through the back hatch of her car and between the front seats by Will, a small vacuum, her sleeping bag, and her backpack.

She spent the morning wiping down the walls of the master bedroom where she planned to set up camp during the whole process. Hardwood floors were dusted and oiled. She cleaned the master bath and decided that, while functional, it definitely needed updating. In her mind, she hoped that six weeks would take care of most everything that had to be done to make the place liveable. Then she could take her time on the things that needed updating.

Having things wrapped up in the room, she spread out her sleeping bag and plugged in a small lamp that she found leftover in Will's room. Then she headed out to find food. Using the pay phone at the gas station, she called a contractor to make a visit to ensure she didn't miss any structural issues and she called the phone company to get the phone turned on.

Over the next week, Elizabeth cleaned like no one had cleaned before and she made a list of everything that needed to be done. She was dismayed to discover that there were quite a few things that really needed two people to make the job go more efficiently and in some cases, things were almost impossible to do alone.

Sitting on the back porch, she stared at the oak trees and pondered her predicament. How could she enlist someone to help her, knowing that she couldn't pay them a whole lot? Contractors were out of the question because they would charge too much and wouldn't let her help. What she needed was a college student. But how was she going to find someone in her budget? An idea popped into her head and she dashed through the house, grabbed her purse and headed to the newspaper office, hoping to beat the deadline for placing ads.

MSMSMSMSMSMSMS

The following day, Henry McCord sat in the corner booth of a local diner. His eyes were shut and he let his head rest against the pane of glass heated by the late afternoon sun. "What the hell am I going to do?" he muttered. He'd set everything up. He had made arrangements before the spring semester ended to share an apartment with one of his friends once his roommate moved out. Henry went home to Pittsburgh for the summer to work on a home construction crew, a job his dad landed him in hopes that he'd like it enough to stick with it. Of course that wasn't going to happen and Henry showed up at the apartment an hour ago with his things ready to move in.

"Henry," the guy looked guilty as soon as he saw who it was. Long story short, the roommate never moved out, which meant that Henry had no place to live. He did have some money saved up, but it wasn't enough to float getting his own place, and who needed a roommate only a few weeks before classes started. He groaned. He hated campus housing. It was so much more expensive than living on his own, and the meal plan was a joke. The food wasn't that great, and they were never open when he wanted to eat.

Henry's coffee and sandwich arrived and Henry sighed, resigned to tabling this problem, at least until dinner was over. When the waitress moved, he spied the classified ads on the next table over. When the customers left, he reached over and snagged it. "Maybe someone in town needs a roommate or has a room to rent," he said, peeling pages back, hunting until he found the Apartments for Rent section. Finding nothing appealing, he moved to Rooms for Rent. It wasn't ideal, but neither was living in his car. He'd just about given up when he read the last ad.

_Will trade work for rent_

_Help renovate 4 BR home_

_In exchange for room_

_Access to kitchen, private bath,_

_Garage included._

_Call Elizabeth for details._

Henry looked up wearing a wide smile. "Hey Betty?"

The waitress looked up. "Any chance I could use the phone? I have a call I need to make."

It was dusk when Henry parked in front of an older, stately home. It needed the bushes trimmed back and a coat of paint. He wondered what else needed to be done. He walked up the front steps and knocked on the door. He expected the woman to be at least in her forties and perhaps even older, someone whose husband and passed and had let the place go, or maybe a single woman who just didn't have much knowledge of how to do home maintenance. Henry had worked with several of both types over the summer and his general notion was that they were a pain in the ass, frequently changing their minds. But, he needed a place to stay, so he really didn't mind if he needed to move the same wall five times, as long as it allowed him to have a roof over his head.

Elizabeth heard the knock at the door and her shoulders sagged. This would be the tenth interview of the day. At this point, she thought her idea had been crap. Everyone was either sleazy or lazy, and she didn't have time or patience for either. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and went to the door. She'd get rid of this guy and have her ad removed from the paper tomorrow.

She opened the door to a handsome young man and watched as he walked down the front steps and went back up them, bouncing on the squeaking one. He moved from one side to the other as if determining the cause of the squeak.

"Hello," Elizabeth said, suppressing a chuckle as Henry's head popped up, embarrassed at having been caught. He moved across the porch toward her

"Hi. Is the owner of the home available? I have an interview. My name's He-"

"Henry McCord," she finished. "Elizabeth Adams. We spoke on the phone." She extended her hand and noted Henry's surprise. "And yes, this is my house. I just purchased it. If we're going to go through the whole I'm too young to be owning a house and too stupid to be remodeling one, you can just go. I'm not in the mood."

Henry took her hand and shook it firmly. She wasn't someone to be trifled with. He could tell. "No ma'am. That wasn't what I was going to say at all. This step is squeaky." Henry moved to the edge of the porch. "It was originally built with nails. I think they've worked themselves loose. Just crawling underneath the porch here and putting a few deck screws in it should tighten it back up." He met her gaze. He could tell she was appraising him. There was a fair amount of tension in the stillness. She was young and very pretty, but definitely was used to getting her way. She didn't seem like someone who changed her mind often though. It was likely she would be difficult to talk out of bad decisions.

"Don't ma'am me. I'm younger than you are. Come on." She stepped back into the house, letting Henry catch the door.

"Yes-Miss?" Henry offered. She looked over her shoulder and he felt self conscious as her eyes scanned him head to toe.

"Elizabeth will be fine." He followed her to the kitchen and she gestured to the table. "Want anything to drink? Tea or water?" she asked.

"Water, please." Elizabeth turned from him and ran the water in the sink a moment until she deemed it cold enough and proceeded to fill a glass. Then she poured herself a glass of tea.

"So, Mr. McCord-"

"Henry," he interrupted.

"Yes, Mr. McCord, tell me about your qualifications for this job." Henry explained what his summer job entailed as well as a few projects he'd helped his father with, plumbing and electrical. He was no tradesman, but he could do the basics. She nodded. "My expectation is that you do three to four hours of work two different weeknights that will be planned ahead of time and eight hours of work on Saturday and Sunday. In exchange, I let you live here and buy up to $20 a week in groceries specifically for your use."

"Could I see where I would be living?" Henry asked. It wasn't like he had a lot of other options, but he felt like couldn't let this woman dictate all of the terms of this exchange. She raised an eyebrow and stood.

"Of course," she said. "This way." She led him up the steps and to the right, opening the door to the master bedroom. "Pardon my things. They'll be out of here tomorrow." Henry glanced around and saw a sleeping bag on the hardwood floor and several clothing items in piles around the room.

"The bathroom?" he asked, making his way through the door. He heard her stifle a groan behind him, but didn't acknowledge it. Glancing around, he saw undergarments hanging over the shower rod and more clothes tossed on the floor.

Stepping back out, he nodded, and she attempted a joke, "Well, at least you know I wear them."

He cocked his head, giving her a slight grin. "I know that you have them. What you choose to wear, well that could be up for debate." He watched the blush flood her face and then turned. "What's down this way?" Henry trailed off down the hall.

"The other bedrooms," she managed to say, following him. Henry stuck his head in each of the bedrooms. "This one has a bathroom?' he asked, stepping inside.

"It's a Jack and Jill bathroom, shared with the bedroom next door." She felt like she had lost control of this interaction and was now chasing Henry as he moved through the rooms, and she didn't know what to make of it. He stopped suddenly and she almost ran into him.

"How about I just take this bedroom and use this bathroom?" Henry said pointing to the obviously smaller room.

"A private bathroom was advertised," she said, definitely off-kilter, now that he was negotiating terms, although she didn't know what to make of the fact that he wanted less than what had originally been offered.

"I don't need a lot of room, and then you don't have to move." Henry turned and made his way down the stairs. Elizabeth followed.

"Sometimes I'll have guests and they may be uncomfortable sharing the bathroom with someone they don't know."

"I say we cross that bridge when we get to it. Besides, it appears that I'm neater than you anyway." He looked her over. She looked a little flustered. Henry swallowed hard. She was seriously beautiful. "So, since we're to the point that we're talking about room arrangements, is it safe to say I have the job?"

"If you would like the job, it's yours," Elizabeth said. "You can move in tomorrow."

Henry shifted on his feet, suddenly a little more shy, and he spoke softer. "Would it be alright with you if I moved in tonight and start working in the morning?" She looked at him quizzically. "I don't really have a place to stay tonight." Henry looked up and their eyes met. She wasn't sure what it was that she saw in his deep brown eyes, but it caused her stomach to flutter.

"Uh, yeah, sure. The room's all yours." Elizabeth hoped her voice was steady because her stomach was causing the rest of her to be anything but.

"Thanks." Henry's whole face lit up. "I'll just get my things."

Henry disappeared out the door and returned a few minutes later with a large duffle bag and a backpack.

"Don't you have other things?" she asked.

"Don't you?" he asked.

"I'm waiting until the rooms are finished to furnish them," Elizabeth countered.

"The place I was going to stay came fully furnished. I'll have to go bed shopping when I have a day off, I suppose. Goodnight Elizabeth," he said, heading up the stairs.

"Goodnight Henry," she murmured. She locked the door and made her way into the kitchen, shutting lights off as she went along. She put their glasses into the sink and leaned against the counter. Henry was exactly what she'd been hoping for, but now that she had him, she wondered how it would play out. Those eyes were burned into her mind and her stomach fluttered again. What had she gotten herself into? Flipping off the kitchen light, she headed to bed herself.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thank you so much for the encouragement I've received so far. The MSec fandom is the best. I hope you enjoy Chapter 2.

Chapter 2

Elizabeth groaned as the sounds of hammering pulled her from sleep. She rolled over and curled into a ball trying to stretch her back. Sleeping on a hardwood floor was for the birds. She needed to get this room done so she could buy some bedroom furniture.

After using the bathroom and getting dressed, she sauntered downstairs to find Henry removing all of the moulding in the living room. The dining room already had a neat stack of trim propped in the corner. She wondered how she slept through all of that.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Elizabeth asked, leaning against the now bare door frame.

Henry turned quickly to face her. He stood and pulled a towel out that had been tucked into the waistband of his shorts. Wiping the sweat off his face and neck, he spoke, "I hope you don't mind. I fixed a pot of coffee, but I haven't eaten. I thought maybe we could eat together and discuss exactly what you want done and make a list of priorities and materials needed for each job. You are definitely lacking in supplies and if you want to do this right, you need the right tools."

Elizabeth certainly listened to Henry's words, but her mind split as she surveyed the man in front of her. Henry had sun-bleached brown hair, streaked with blond. His skin was deeply tanned and he was fit, his muscles defined. Wearing only a pair of cut off denim shorts, she could tell that these fit a little looser, exposing the tan line just above the waistband, which hung low on his hips. Her gaze quickly shifted back to his eyes, which may have been a mistake because, while his body was most certainly attractive, it was his eyes that did things to her stomach.

She turned before her face gave her away. She called over her shoulder. "I have cereal, and I'm not buying a bunch of fancy tools just to use them once, when we can get something cheaper and get by."

Henry sighed. "Of course." In spite of himself,he grinned. He already liked her. This might become difficult, and of course it didn't help that she was wearing a pair of shorts that accentuated her mile long legs and a tank top that hugged her slim body. More importantly, he liked her no nonsense ways, but he knew she would fight tooth and nail if he tried to change her mind. He smiled to himself. He might just have to find something to challenge her on, just to experience that. He chuckled. That would be entertaining.

They sat at adjoining corners of the square kitchen table, their cereal bowls long since pushed to the side. In front of them was her trusty renovation book and a notepad. "Are you sure that you want to refinish all of the moulding and stain it?" She nodded. "Then you absolutely have to buy an electric sander. Hand sanding every piece of moulding in this house will literally take a year."

"But an electric sander costs $40, Plus the cost of those sanding pads. I'm not sure it's worth it," she said.

Henry pinched the bridge of his nose. Why did he think arguing with this woman might be fun. It was exasperating. He took a deep breath. "Okay, so even if you have to spend another $40 in sanding discs, that's $80. Over the course of the year, that's what?" He did the quick math in his head. "Like 30 cents a day, and we can get this knocked out in maybe three weeks instead of a year."

"It's actually only 22 cents a day, and I was already going to get one, but it is reassuring to know that you can make a decent argument. I'll keep that in mind. Make sure you take the list. You'll need to add the groceries you want." She rose from the table and crossed the room. "I'm driving. Let's go."

Henry let his head fall on the table and groaned. That entire exchange made him want to tear his hair out, and most annoyingly, he loved it. Shoving the chair back, he stood. Shopping with this woman was going to be torture, and for some inexplicable reason, he couldn't wait.

MSMSMSMSMSMS

Henry abandoned her in the paint section. He couldn't deal anymore. She argued about every damn little thing and finally, he had enough. "I'm out," he said, walking away.

Watching him walk away, she crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. She looked at the things he wanted to get, saying that it would make painting easier. In reality, it was only a few dollars more. And, he did save her money, telling her that she didn't have to buy the name brand sanding pads, that the store brand were just as good.

Elizabeth sighed, her irritation dissipating quickly. She remembered back to her first few months at boarding school when she was trying so hard to fit in and make friends. She quickly picked up a lot of followers once a few people found out she had money and was generous. They took advantage of her and she got in a lot of trouble with Joan. When she stopped paying for things, nearly everyone fell away. It made her guarded and wary, especially where money was concerned.

That wasn't Henry's fault. She threw the things into the cart and went to the paint counter to pick up her paint. Emerging from the store half an hour later, she found him sitting on a bench near the entrance.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Sure," he muttered, standing and heading to the car without saying anything else. Elizabeth sighed and followed along behind him.

The car ride back to the house was punctuated with an icy silence and it made Elizabeth feel uncomfortable. When she pulled into the driveway, Henry threw open the door, and barreled out. He walked around to the trunk and waited for Elizabeth to pop the latch. As it was released, he grabbed an armload of things and headed toward the house.

Once inside, he dropped the items in the living room and went upstairs, closing the door behind him. Henry went to the bathroom and splashed his face with water and stared at him reflection in the mirror. How was he going to do this long term? He absolutely had to put up with whatever ridiculousness Elizabeth doled out, at least until the first semester was over. Then, he may be able to find a roommate. Until then he was stuck. He was unaware how long he stood there, but he snapped back to reality when there was a knock at the door.

Henry dried his face and moved through the bedroom and opened the door. Elizabeth stood in the hallway, staring at the floor. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I've been burned before by people who took advantage of a situation. It makes me a little," she paused, looking for the right word. "Controlling," she said finally.

"A little?" He chuckled. "I wasn't trying to deviate from the plan. I've just done some of this stuff enough that I know there are things worth spending a few more dollars on to save a lot of time and end up with a better product." Henry took a deep breath before continuing. "I don't think this is going to work if you keep arguing with everything I say. I promise I won't ask for materials that aren't necessary, if you will trust that I won't let this house end up looking like a couple of kids did it, unless that's what you want."

Elizabeth wasn't sure why, but for the first time, it occurred to her that she may not be able to have things turn out like she wanted, just because she willed it to be a certain way. That was an absurd notion since she didn't want to go to boarding school and she didn't want to leave her house in the first place and she didn't want her parents to die. What would she do if she couldn't pull of this house project?

Suddenly, tears stung her eyes, and she needed to get out of the situation. Whispering "ok," she turned and walked into her room, barely making it inside before the tears spilled out of her eyes. She closed the door softly and slid down to the floor.

Henry stood dumbfounded in the doorway of his room. He had no idea what had just happened, but the confident, to the point of overbearing, person he had been around so far, dissolved into a frightened child. There was a part of him that wanted to go find out what was wrong, but the rational part said to stay away and let her be.

Henry went downstairs and finished putting away the stray groceries left on the counter and threw dinner in the crock pot his mother had insisted he bring. He'd have to remember to thank her later. Then he returned to the project he'd been working on that morning.

Five hours later, Elizabeth awoke from her exhaustion induced sleep. The smell of roast beef permeated the entire house and Elizabeth's stomach rumbled. She groaned. Oatmeal didn't sound too appealing. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Elizabeth looked at her puffy eyes. "This oughta go well," she mumbled, rubbing a cool cloth over her face.

Making her way down the back set of stairs, she found Henry just getting ready to sit down. "Hey," he said brightly. "There is food in the crock pot if you're hungry."

"I'm fine. That's your food. I'll just grab something from the cabinet."

"How about if I share my roast tonight and you share your," he peeked over her shoulder. "Oatmeal in the morning?"

"Are you sure? I don't want to test the boundaries of this relationship so soon," Elizabeth said.

Henry reached around her and handed her a plate. "I don't think food sharing is what's going to test the boundaries of this relationship. Eat." He nudged her toward the crock pot of food, and sat down. Elizabeth forked herself a piece of roast and a couple spoonfuls of potatoes, carrots and green beans.

Sitting down, she took a bite and moaned. "This is delicious. How did you learn to cook like this?" She chewed slowly, savoring the meal.

"How did you learn to remodel a house?" he asked. When she seemed perplexed, he said, "I read a cookbook, and then another and I got to be pretty decent at it. No one in my family dared say anything about my cooking though,since I was the one willing to do it." He observed her. "You can't cook?"

"Not really. I can bake a frozen pizza and I'm getting pretty good at boxed macaroni and cheese. Oh, and oatmeal, but that's about all. I could never do this." She shoved a whole baby potato in her mouth causing Henry to laugh. She swallowed it and smiled.

"Are you alright?" he asked, suddenly changing the entire tone of the conversation.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She hoped he didn't ask anything else. She wasn't sure she would be able to handle deflection right now.

"Good. Let me show you what I've been working on." Henry wanted to ask more, but sensed she didn't want to talk about it. Maybe she'd trust him enough later on. He rose and put his empty plate in the soapy water already run in the sink. Elizabeth followed, but put a few more potatoes on her plate.

She shrugged. "I'm kind of a carb girl," she said, leading him to the living room. "Wow. Henry, how did you get so much done?" All of the walls had been painted a cool blue-gray. The only thing that needed to be finished was the trim work around the fireplace.

"I got two coats on the ceiling and it still needs one more coat on the walls, but I think it turned out nice. Maybe tomorrow you could work on sanding the trim down while I put the second coat up and then you need to pick out the stain color. Once we get all of the moulding stained and put back up, that's about it, except for curtain rods, right?"

"Uh huh," she murmured, no longer really part of the conversation with Henry. She went back to the months before her parents died.

January 1983

Suzanne Adams sat at the dining room table studying paint swatches. "What do you think Lizzie?" she asked as her daughter passed through on the way to the living room.

"I don't know Mom. Buffy's mom just painted their master bedroom this color." She pointed to a shade of mauve.

Suzanne turned up her nose. "Your father would kill me if I painted the bedroom pink." She picked up another swatch that had a blue at the top and transitioned to a cool blue gray at the bottom. "What about this one?"

"I like that," Elizabeth said. "The commercial is ending. I have to get in there."

Elizabeth darted through the doorway, but not before she heard her mother say, "Maybe in the living room."

August 1986

"Elizabeth. E-liz-a-beth!" Henry spoke loudly, realizing that she was lost in her thoughts. She spun on her heel to face him.

"Yes?" she asked tentatively.

"Trim tomorrow? Maybe by Monday this room will be done." Henry offered her a way out of the conversation.

"Yeah. Sounds good," she said softly.

Henry reached out and took her plate. "I'll do the dishes tonight." He had no doubt that she hadn't heard a word he said.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I'm so happy about the response I've had with this story. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 3

And so the days went by, right up to the day classes started. It took about a week per room so long as they didn't run into major problems. In the dining room, there were faulty outlets that needed to be changed out and in the downstairs bathroom, the hose going from the water supply to the toilet ruptured. Luckily, Elizabeth caught it pretty quickly and other than new water lines and a fair amount of mopping, no real damage was done.

Elizabeth and Henry fell into a pattern. They ate breakfast together and planned for the day then split to do their own tasks. Henry patched any wall damage and painted, and Elizabeth refinished all of the moulding, sanding it and then staining it. They stopped for dinner, eating together, making small talk. They cleaned up together and then they parted for the evening.

Once classes started, their days were more difficult and evenings were more scheduled. Progress was slower and Elizabeth was irritable. She'd hoped to be further along in the project, but refused to let her grades slip, so she had to ease up on the renovations.

Henry, however, kept his end of the arrangement, working two evenings a week and all weekend. They were six weeks into school and Henry was on a ladder propped against the front of the house, scraping the chipping paint, in order to prepare to paint the outside of the house. An old truck, pulled up in front of the house, revealing a middle aged man, who climbed from the cab.

"Hello there, son," he called. Henry immediately climbed down the ladder and walked to the driveway to greet the gentleman.

"Hi. Can I help you, sir?" Henry asked.

"I'm just here saying hi. I heard Lizzie was back. Wanted to check in and see how she was getting along." Henry wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "I'm sorry. I'm Robert Mackey. I live down the road here. I bought my house just a few months before Ben and Suzie bought theirs. We ran around together before the kids were born, ours, then theirs. Such a tragedy that befell them." The old man seemed to drift off a bit. "Then a few weeks ago, Mary said she saw Lizzie was back. Just wanted to say hi. Are you her husband?"

Henry had been thoroughly confused, but that question was one he could answer definitively. "No sir. I'm living in one of the bedrooms in exchange for helping _Lizzie_ fix up the house. I'm Henry McCord. It's nice to meet you Mr. Mackey." Henry shook the man's hand. "I'll be sure to let her know you stopped by." They engaged in a bit of small talk and finally the man nodded, retreated to his vehicle, and left.

Henry returned to his project, eventually reaching a stopping point. He cleaned up, and headed inside. He had more questions than answers right now, and Mr. Mackey wasn't the person to ask, Elizabeth was. He opened a beer and went to sit on the back deck and wait for her to come home.

Elizabeth turned into the driveway, and threw the car into park. She was exhausted. She was starving and all she wanted to do was fall into bed. She trudged into the house and straight to the refrigerator. Sticking her head in, she hoped Henry had cooked something fabulous for dinner.

"Pizza's on the counter," Henry said,stepping in from the deck. Elizabeth popped up.

"Thanks," Elizabeth replied as she shoved a pepperoni into her mouth.

"Mr. Mackey stopped by tonight. He and Mary wanted to check in and see how you were doing."

Elizabeth froze. She hadn't expected to be faced with well meaning neighbors, but she should've known it would happen. Her parents had always been friends with the people on their block. "That was kind of him," she finally managed to say.

"I was caught off guard. He said things. Things I didn't know." Henry made an effort not to show he was angry. She didn't have to tell him her history with the house, but it made some things make more sense. He still didn't really understand, but this was obviously her parents' house.

"Henry." She couldn't get into it now. She was too tired, too overwhelmed with her life in general to be bringing up all of that hurt. But, even as she thought it, it was already there. The pain was never really gone, only pushed down just far enough below the surface for her to function. Tears sprang to her eyes. "I can't do this right now." She turned and ran up the stairs

The first time he barely knew her and he'd let her go. Now, they'd known each other for a little over two months and he still felt like he didn't really know her, but that was about to change. He followed her up the stairs.

Gently knocking on her door, there was no answer. "Elizabeth, we need to talk." Only muffled sobs answered him. He turned the knob and found it to be unlocked. Pushing it open, he saw Elizabeth laying on the mattress in the middle of the floor. Her body was shaking with the force of the sobs that escaped her and he immediately felt like he was witnessing something no one had ever seen. A part of him wanted to leave, knowing that she would be embarrassed and probably irate that he saw her in that state. The other part wanted to hold her and comfort her.

Moving to the side of the bed, he sat on the floor. Pushing her hair to the side, he leaned in close. "Hey. What's wrong?" he asked, gently.

Elizabeth felt his presence and as much as she wanted to send Henry away, so couldn't bring herself to. When she couldn't answer him, she felt herself being wrapped into his arms and he tucked her head against his chest. He said nothing, only laying beside her, holding her close, and letting her fall apart.

She couldn't remember anyone ever doing that. Even when her parents died, the most she got was an arm thrown stiffly over her shoulder, the accompanying platitude, and a swift exit. No one could handle sitting in her grief with her. No one until Henry. Elizabeth moved and wrapped her arm around Henry's waist and tried to let the steady beat of his heart soothe her.

Henry held Elizabeth all night. She eventually cried herself to sleep and he drifted off as well. His dreams were a series of snapshots of Elizabeth and his assumptions about her past. Waking, he dislodged himself from her and covered her with the blanket nearby.

Elizabeth woke a couple hours later with the sun streaming through the sheer curtains. Her eyes stung and the pillow was still damp with her tears. She thought she may have imagined Henry coming to her, but her pillow smelled of him and it made her smile. She immediately sat up and covered her face, realizing exactly what had happened.

What would Henry think of her? He'd have questions and he'd expect her to answer them. Elizabeth didn't know if she could do that. But, even though worry filled her, there was a sense of comfort that she hadn't felt in such a long time. She couldn't identify why, but she had a sense of hope that she hadn't had before.

That afternoon, when she came home from class, Henry was working, installing all of the woodwork in the newly painted soft yellow half bath downstairs. He nailed the final piece of trim behind the door and then opened it fully. He stepped past her, into the hall. "Check it out. See what you think." She stepped inside and looked around. The yellow would go perfectly with the photo of her mother's garden that she wanted to have enlarged.

Suzanne was particularly proud of her garden and was forever talking about the very unusual year in which her peonies and hibiscuses were blooming at the same time. As a result, there were several pictures highlighting the purple and yellow phenomenon. Elizabeth had her favorite photo, which would be the centerpiece for this room. "She would've loved it," Elizabeth whispered quietly enough that it was almost inaudible.

Almost. Henry heard it, and while there was a part that thought better of it, he heard himself ask, "Your mom?"

Elizabeth whipped around to face him looking like she'd been violently ripped from a more preferred reality. When she opened her mouth, Henry thought she may yell at him, but instead, he saw the fire in her eyes die down and she simply answered, "Yes," before pushing past him and entering the kitchen.

Nothing more was said. They moved around each other, speaking only when necessary. It wasn't until late that evening when Henry sat on the deck reading for a paper he was getting ready to write, that Elizabeth stepped out and sat beside him. "Do you have a minute?"

Henry closed his book and set it down next to him. Then he looked up and studied her. He saw the turmoil, and he felt the need to calm it. "You don't owe me an explanation," he said, shifting to look out across the backyard.

Elizabeth folded her hands in her lap. Henry just gave her the out she'd been hoping for, yet she couldn't make herself get up and leave. There was a part of her that wanted, no needed, to share her pain with someone. She realized that most of all, she just wanted someone to listen to her and give her the time to get it all out. There were lots of people who knew about her parents, but all of them tried to escape as quickly as possible. They couldn't handle being in that helpless position. She didn't want to be told that it would work out or that everything happens for a reason, or at least they didn't suffer. All Elizabeth wanted was someone to acknowledge that it wasn't fair and that it was a huge burden and that it was perfectly normal to feel the profound loss every day. It wasn't going to change, and it wasn't going to get better. It just was.

"I just wanted to thank you for last night. I've never had someone willing to just be there and not expect me to get over it." She felt better at least getting that off her chest.

"I just didn't want you to be alone,* Henry didn't understand why she pushed herself so hard. He thought about that and decided it was a personality thing. She pushed herself hard at everything she did. Her voice brought him from his thoughts.

"My parents were killed in a car wreck when I was 15. We had to move and my aunt took custody of my brother and I. She put us in boarding school. This spring, my aunt decided that keeping the house for three years was enough of a hassle, so she wanted us to sell it. My brother was on board, but I couldn't do it, so I took part of my trust fund and bought my brother's part of the house. And that's it. It isn't a big story or some kind of drama or anything. I just couldn't let go of it. It's my home and the only place I feel completely safe."

Henry reached out and caught her fingers in his. "I'm sorry. That's a lot of pain to carry around all of the time. I'll do my best to help you make this house be what you need it to be." He squeezed her hand before letting it go.

Elizabeth was acutely aware of the loss of his hand around hers. She waited for him to continue but he didn't. He just stayed by her, and she felt it again-the flutter in her stomach. She quickly rose, trying to dismiss the feeling. "I'll see you in the morning," she said, disappearing through the door and into the house.

Henry picked up his book, opening it again, and wondered if he would get anything else accomplished the rest of the evening.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I want to thank all of those that have left kind reviews. I appreciate them very much. Enjoy this next chapter, and please, let me know what you think.

Chapter 4

November 1986

Henry slammed the phone down, his frustration bubbling over. "Damnit," he muttered. He had been sitting on the arm of the couch and with a big sigh, he let himself fall over the side, into the cushions.

"Are you okay?" Elizabeth appeared in the doorway of the living room.

"I'm fine. It's just my dad-" Henry stopped short. It felt wrong to complain about his father around Elizabeth.

"Don't do that," she said softly. "I realize that people have issues with their parents. You don't need to tiptoe around me." She moved to the couch to sit beside him.

"It just seems wrong to complain, when you don't have-that option." Henry felt awkward, stumbling over his words.

She shrugged, "What happened with your dad?"

"It's always the same thing. I'm wasting my time in school. The military takes tax money away from people who really need it and I'm contributing to the drying up of the economy in industrial areas."

"Geez. That seems a little extreme," she said.

Henry pushed himself up to sit beside her."My father operates in extremes. He also wanted to know what I was doing for Thanksgiving."

Elizabeth's insides twisted in a knot. She hadn't given any thought to Henry going home for Thanksgiving. She just assumed he would stay at the house and cook a small meal for them and she wouldn't be alone. She chastised herself for being so stupid. Of course he would go home. And she would spend another holiday alone.

Elizabeth turned her head away from Henry so he couldn't see her face. He was wise to her ways. She did that when she was thinking something she didn't want him to question her on. After a few months together, Henry had become quite adept at reading her.

"We'll get to that in a minute," he said offhandedly, more to just call attention to the fact that she was trying to hide her feelings from him. "But first, I want to know how we're going to handle our business arrangement." He had been wanting to approach this subject for a few weeks, and now seemed as good a time as any.

Elizabeth spun around on the couch and stared at him. He saw fear, which surprised him. "I mean the downstairs is mostly done, except for the big projects, and I don't know that we're capable of gutting the kitchen or the master bath." He stopped and tried to gauge her reaction. "I guess I'm asking if you're planning on throwing me out in a few weeks."

"No. I wasn't." Elizabeth had been thinking about this for several weeks now, but she didn't know how to bring it up. Now, here was her do or die moment. She took a deep breath. "I was hoping you'd be willing to stay."

"How much do you want in rent? This is a pretty high end house for a college student." He gave her a grin, but it wasn't returned. Instead, she shoved her hands under her legs to keep from fiddling with them.

"I-I don't know. Maybe you can just be in charge of maintenance and there's still work to be done upstairs," she offered.

"I'd rather pay rent." Henry said, his tone serious.

"Why?" Elizabeth asked, thoroughly confused.

"Because," Henry said, leaning closer to her. "I don't think it's ethical to ask my boss out on a date."

Elizabeth felt the blood rushing to her face and her stomach was turning inside out, but she couldn't break the eye contact. "But asking your landlord out would be acceptable?"

Henry's face broke out in a wide grin. "In a perfect world, no, but we aren't in a perfect world, are we?" That was definitely true. She studied him for a moment, her stomach fluttering in anticipation. It was time she address that.

"No, but maybe we could skip the date part, and you just kiss me." She scooted closer, leaning forward on her hands, hovering over his lips.

"I could, but I'm a stickler for the rules. You're still my boss."

"You're fired," she murmured, closing the distance, her lips landing on his. It was soft, and gentle and chaste.

"I've wanted this for a while," she whispered, breaking the kiss, but not moving away.

"Like since we met? Wait, that was me." Henry's nose touched hers and it was almost painful to hold off. He wanted to devour her, but he wasn't going to go that far.

"Day one," she said, moving forward, taking his lip between hers, raking her tongue across it. His mouth opened and her tongue snaked inside. Needing to be closer, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. Elizabeth shifted her weight and threw her leg over the top of him so that she straddled his lap. He smiled and when she pulled back, she was smiling too.

"I want to ask you something," he said.

"Anything," she murmured, laying her forehead against his, pressing feather lite kisses to his cheeks.

Henry wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Will you come home with me?" he asked

Elizabeth sat up and pushed back against him. "What?"

"For Thanksgiving. Come home and meet my family."

"I-I don't know," she started.

"I don't want you to be here alone. Spend a few days in Pittsburgh. Please." Henry gave her his best puppy dog eyes. He wasn't above begging.

She laughed, "Stop making that face. It's mean. But are you sure it will be alright?"

"If nothing else, it will give you a glimpse into why I am the way that I am," he teased, causing her to laugh.

"Let me kiss you again," she whispered.

"Gladly," he said, pulling her back to him once more.

MSMSMSMSMSMS

"I'm nervous Henry," Elizabeth reached across the console and took his hand. "What if they don't like me?"

"It will be fine. My mom already loves you and my dad hates everyone, so I wouldn't worry about it if I were you." Henry squeezed her hand.

"Easy for you to say, " she muttered.

Three hours passed and by the time that Henry pulled up in front of the McCord home, Elizabeth thought she was going to throw up. Henry leaned over and pecked her cheek. "This is going to be a good time. I promise."

Lorna McCord was a delightful woman, with warm eyes and a soft touch. Elizabeth immediately felt welcomed. Henry's family was boisterous, but inclusive, with two notable exceptions-his oldest sister and his father. Henry's younger siblings, Shane and Erin, were much like Lorna. Maureen, on the other hand was reserved and almost sullen, which bore a strong resemblance to her father.

Patrick McCord had neither been welcoming nor antagonistic. He just ignored her existence. Henry assured Elizabeth that he wasn't ignoring her, he was looking for a weakness to exploit. "That's comforting," she murmured as they met in the hallway. She was surprised when Henry grabbed her hand and yanked her back against him.

He kissed the top of her ear and then he pushed her hair back and placed kisses along her hairline. As he spoke, his breath was hot down her neck and she felt a warmth bloom in her belly and radiate through her. "If he starts, I'll shut him down."

Elizabeth turned to face Henry. "It's alright. I've got this." She pecked him on the cheek. Henry shrugged. Maybe she did.

Surprisingly, Elizabeth tolerated Patrick quite well-better than Henry did. He was gruff and short with her, repeatedly making references about how she came from money. She deflected very well, often turning it into a conversation about some construction blunder she and Henry had overcome, and how they did it on the cheap. Henry hated to admit it, but his dad liked Elizabeth, at least as much as he liked anyone.

On Friday night, Henry stood on the front porch, looking in the front window, as Elizabeth, Shane, Erin and a couple of Erin's friends played Monopoly. He couldn't help but smile as he watched. Elizabeth was enjoying herself. Her laugh was genuine and her posture relaxed. He was glad she was willing to come.

Henry's mind had just started down the rabbit hole of what Elizabeth's Thanksgiving might have been like when his father broke the silence.

Henry jumped. "Jesus, Dad! You scared the crap out of me!"

Patrick chuckled. "Hope you aren't ever planning on going into infantry. You'd let the enemy sneak up on you, and end up getting a bunch of guys killed." Henry sighed. Patrick always had some sort of dig, aimed at getting him riled up.

Patrick peered over Henry's shoulder into the living room. "You like her, don't you?"

"Sure. Of course. I wouldn't have brought her here if I didn't like her."

*That's not what I mean and you know it." Patrick seemed offended. Henry exhaled slowly. His dad was always offended about something.

"Yes, I like her. Go ahead. Tell me all the reasons she shouldn't like me, or why you don't like her or whatever.* He turned to face his father.

Patrick shrugged. "You could do worse," he walked into the house. Henry stood there staring at the front door as it closed. He shook his head in disbelief. That was as close to approval as he was going to get.

On Sunday afternoon, they bid their farewells and headed back to school. Once on the road, Henry said, "I'll be so glad to sleep in my own bed," He yawned. "Mom and Dad's couch sucks."

Elizabeth laughed. "Sorry. I could've slept on the couch."

"Nah. It's alright." Henry was silent for a few minutes. "I'm glad you came with me," he said. "I'm sorry though. I know my family is overwhelming."

"They were perfect." She stared out the window. "It's been a few years since I had an actual family holiday. I didn't realize how much I missed that. Thank you for giving me puppy dog eyes and insisting I come with you."

"You enjoy it now, but in a year or two, you'll want to wring their necks, just like I do." Henry chuckled, but Elizabeth froze. "What?" he asked, noticing her grip on his hand tightening.

"Will I still be around in a year? Or two?" she asked, her shock not well concealed.

Henry glanced at Elizabeth, but couldn't see her well and watch the road at the same time. "I hope so," he said.

"Oh," she mumbled.

Henry took the next opportunity to exit the interstate and pull into a gas station. "What are you thinking?' She turned and looked out the window. "I hate it when you do that," he said, his frustration getting the better of him. "Just let me in."

"I can't," she mumbled.

"Can't or won't?" he asked. "Look, I want to be there for you, but you have to be willing to let me." He rested his hand on her thigh. "What are you afraid of?"

Elizabeth sat in the passenger seat and took in Henry's words. She didn't feel like she could really explain to him what was going through her mind. There were so many things. They had only known each other for about three months, but she felt more deeply connected to him than she had anyone since her parents died. She wanted him to stay, she needed him as a friend, and the flutter in her stomach told her that she hoped he would be much more. But, that was a frightening prospect.

She was never one to share her feelings. Even as a child, she would remain stoic when Will tormented her, never letting him see how his taunts affected her. The slights in middle school were pushed deep down. The pain of her parents' death-that was harder to contain, but most of the time she managed well enough. Now, here was Henry who had just let her be herself. He didn't judge her when she let go. He never made her feel inferior because of it. He wholeheartedly wanted to her to share herself with him.

She took a deep breath. "I'm scared of what's going to happen when I let myself fall in love with you."


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I'm going to apologize ahead of time for any typos in this AN. I'm on my phone,with my glasses on and the screen brightness is turned down so I don't wake my husband. Hopefully you can figure out what I'm attempting to say and autocorrect will work with me.

Thank you to all of those who are following or have favorites this story. I warms my heart to know that you get some enjoyment from my writing. Please let me know what you think. We're officially halhwoay through this story.

Chapter 5

_"I'm scared of what's going to happen when I let myself fall in love with you."_

With that, Elizabeth climbed from the car and disappeared into the gas station. Henry sat dumbfounded. Did he really hear her correctly? Did she just imply that she was falling for him? Or was going to? Henry wasn't exactly sure what to do with that knowledge. He liked her. A lot. But, she was always so unpredictable. She'd be present and vulnerable in one moment then aloof and dismissive the next. He would've had no idea that she liked him as much as he liked her. But love? That seemed like a big leap.

Elizabeth snapped him out of his contemplation when she opened the door and climbed back into the car. She held up a Snickers and a Twix. He took the Twix, knowing Snickers was her favorite. They completed the trip back to Charlottesville in near silence.

Henry barely had a chance to put the car into the garage and put it in park before Elizabeth hopped out, quickly reaching into the back seat to grab her bag. She headed straight up the couple of stairs and into the kitchen. Henry sighed and got out. He grabbed the rest of their things and followed. By the time he made it into the house, Elizabeth was already upstairs. He put the Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge and plodded up the stairs himself. He paced his room, frustrated with the situation. Finally, he decided he'd had enough. He went to Elizabeth's room.

The door stood open and she was looking out the window. "What do you think is going to happen?" he asked.

She turned on her heel to stare him down. "With what?"

"With us," he said simply, and her head dropped. He moved toward her. "Do you think I'm going to hurt you? Do you think I can walk away?"

"I don't want to think that, but there's a voice in the back of my head telling me that it's just a matter of time before I lose you. And I don't know if I can go through that kind of loss again." Elizabeth leaned against the wall with her arms crossed protectively over herself. It struck Henry how small she looked in that moment, when usually she was larger than life.

"Where's the Elizabeth who isn't afraid of anything? The one who bought a house to remodel while she's in school and fight her live-in carpenter over every little detail?" He quirked an eyebrow at her. "The Elizabeth who fired said carpenter so she could make out with him?"

Her eyes met his and she gave him a sad smile. "That's who I want people to see."

"But it's not who you are," Henry answered the unspoken question.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to answer, but closed it again. "It's who I hope to become," she finally said.

"I think you're both, and the side of you that is more reflective and more emotional isn't weaker anymore than the stoic and, dare I say, bossier, side of you is stronger. You can be both. I'm sort or partial to both. I just wish you'd let me in." Henry stepped closer and offered her his hand, wondering if she'd actually take it.

Elizabeth's thoughts swirled in her head, and she willed herself to shut them down. "Don't think, just do," she muttered to herself. She wanted a serious relationship with Henry. But if she was going to have it, she had to take the step. She had to decide to be open with him. "I'll try," she murmured, taking his hand and allowing herself to be folded into his embrace. She decided in that moment that she never wanted to be anywhere else.

MSMSMSMSMSMS

March 1987

A loud crash sent Henry straight up out of a deep sleep. He tore out of his bed and down the stairs. He couldn't believe his eyes when he reached the kitchen. Elizabeth was standing on the shorter ladder with the power drill. She had the screwdriver attachment on it and was using it to remove the doors from the kitchen cabinets.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked. "I thought we decided to wait until summer to tear apart the kitchen. There's no way we can get it done these last few days of Spring Break, and you don't want to deal with having no kitchen with finals coming up in six weeks. Henry was nearly beside himself.

"I changed my mind," Elizabeth said, but her voice cracked just a bit and Henry was beside her instantly.

"Babe, what's really going on?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Nothing! Can't I just change my mind about something? I just want this damn house done. Is that alright with you?" Her tone was biting, but Henry could tell that she was about to break. He backed off and tried not to take it personally.

"Let me help then." Henry held the door while she unscrewed the hinges and the door came off in his hands. He took it, along with the other door that had crashed to the floor earlier and carried them to the dining room. He was surprised to find the table filled with all of the contents from the cabinets.

"Hey babe? How long have you been working on this?" He glanced through the doorway at the large wall clock that hung on the living room wall, which read 6:30 a.m.

"I don't know. Maybe four hours," she said. "Come take this door."

Henry moved to her side and held the door and when it came off, he set it against the bottom cabinet. "Hey," he said, taking the tool from her. "Come here."

"No, Henry. I need to get this done." The tears she had been able to keep at bay, came at her in a rush. "Damnit," she muttered.

Putting an arm around her waist, he hauled her off the ladder and held her against him. "Tell me."

"It's nothing. It's stupid-not like it doesn't happen every year. I need to just buck up and get over it." She swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Let me work, Henry." She struggled against him, but he didn't release her.

"What are you talking about?" Finally, she went limp against him, unable to hold it in any longer and the sobs erupted from her. He held onto her and slid down the lower cabinets to the floor so she ended up in his lap.

"They died four years ago today," she choked out.

Henry understood. "So you decided to stay busy?" She nodded. "You've got to be exhausted. Come, lay down with me and we'll talk. Okay?" She was hesitant, but Henry finally convinced her and once he got her into bed, she spoke quietly, talking about her childhood, their deaths and the aftermath. Henry didn't say much. He only held her and asked a few questions to keep her talking. After a couple hours, exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep, her head resting on Henry's chest, his heartbeat relaxing her.

Henry looked down at the top of her head and gently brushed the hair from her face. There were still so many things that she was closed mouthed about, but he felt like she'd taken a big step with him by sharing about her parents. He drifted off thinking about how happy he was that she was opening up to him.

When Henry woke a couple hours later, Elizabeth was gone. He searched the house, unable to find her, but found the note stuck to the front door with painters' tape. _I went to visit my parents. Let's have dinner at Marco's tonight. I'll meet you at 5. And thank you for this morning._

Henry held the piece of paper in his hand. He wished she'd asked him to join her, but that wasn't her way. He hoped that one day she would turn to him first, but he knew he couldn't force it. Henry sighed and headed into the kitchen to finish removing the doors.

At 5:15, Henry leaned back in the booth. Elizabeth had been gone for almost eight hours. He was starting to get worried and was just about to leave to go look for her when she came flying through the door. She made a beeline to Henry and slid into the booth, crashing into him.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. Time got away from me. I forgot how long it takes to drive out there. Have you already ordered?"

"I was waiting for you. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she cut him off. He raised an eyebrow.

"Where did you go?" Henry asked.

"I went to Blacktop Mountain. It's where my dad proposed to my mom." She looked down at her hands folded in her lap, finally slowing down. She became reflective. "It's so pretty there-looking out over the valley. It's just more peaceful and I feel their love there." Emotions wanted to take over, but she pushed them to the side. "Really, thanks for this morning. I wasn't in a good place, and you helped a lot."

"I didn't do much."

"But you were there, and that is what I needed, even if I didn't realize it at the time. I missed you today. It was weird because it's always been the place I wanted to go to feel better, but today I couldn't truly be at peace because something was missing. It was you. I wanted you with me." Henry wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close.

"Maybe another day. I want to be there for you." Henry tilted Elizabeth's head back and kissed her gently on the lips. "Now, what kind of pizza do you want?"

They had a good evening, finishing the pizza with enough time to walk through the downtown area looking in shop windows and laughing together. Walking back to their cars, Henry noticed Elizabeth became quiet, wrapping her hands around his and as she leaned into him. He immediately shifted and wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. "What can I do?" he whispered, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

She turned toward his body and snaked her arms around him. "You're already doing it."

Henry walked Elizabeth to her car and waited to make sure she got on the road safely. Elizabeth drove home slowly taking the long way, losing herself in her thoughts. She was truly surprised that she missed Henry's presence when she went to Blacktop Mountain. She had only been able to go one other time since her parents died and she found it to be very personal. It scared her that she wanted to share that with Henry. Elizabeth realized that despite her original intentions, the fact that she wanted to share the most personal, private thing in her life, could mean only one thing. She was in love with Henry McCord.

She pulled into the garage, but instead of going inside, found her way to the backyard. She sat down on the swing and smiled, remembering the events of a couple weeks before. It was the first warm day of spring and when Elizabeth got home, Henry met her at the door. "I did something for you," he said.

Curious, she followed him to the back yard. She immediately saw it. He'd fixed the swing and replaced the rope ladder. She was worried that he'd just made a new swing, but he'd taken the original broken board that had her family's name carved in it and built a frame around it, making it strong again. At the time, she'd whispered her thanks, fearful that if she'd tried to say anything beyond that, she would have started crying. He'd given her a hug, kissed her temple and left her alone. They'd never really talked about it much.

The day before Aunt Joan moved them out, she and Will sat under the trees, her in the swing and him dangling from the rope ladder. They hadn't spoken much then. It wasn't their way, but they shared the same sense of loss, even though they couldn't put words to it.

Now, Elizabeth looked at the back of the house, restored to the glory it held for her as a child, and in that moment, she realized how much different her life was now that Henry was a part of it. How much better.

Finally, she stood from her spot and made her way inside, finding that Henry had already gone upstairs. Elizabeth shut off all of the lights and made her way to her room. Busying herself by getting ready for bed, she eventually crawled beneath the covers and looked around her newly refinished room with the soft ivory paint, accented by lavender drapes and bedding. It was beautiful and exquisitely set off by the crystal chandelier, which hung from the center of the vaulted ceiling. The walnut furniture made the room feel warm and cozy. She smiled. Henry had done an excellent job carrying out her vision while she spent four days with Joan and Will at the beginning of Spring Break. She had come back to a completely finished room and she couldn't have done it better if she'd tried.

She smiled and the warmth she felt for Henry radiated through her and concentrated in her core. Making the decision, Elizabeth slipped from beneath the covers and made her way down the hall. Knocking softly on his door, she wondered why it had taken her so long to get to this point.

When Henry opened the door, Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat, at the sight of Henry in only his boxers, and it took a few seconds to regain her composure. "I, uh, was thinking." Henry began looking at her with concern and she tried to form a more coherent sentence. "Everything's fine. I was just thinking that maybe it's time. You know, if you're willing?"

Henry watched her body language. Her usual forceful demeanor was replaced by shyness and uncertainty. He hadn't been sure what she meant exactly until she looked up at him, her eyes filled with desire and she subconsciously chewed her bottom lip.

"Oh!" he said, just a little too loud, causing her to giggle. "You're sure? I mean this is kind of sudden. It's been a rough day for you." He took a step closer and took both of her hands in his. "I mean, I want to, but not if you aren't completely sure that you're ready…" His voice trailed off.

Elizabeth met his gaze and saw the love he had for her. "I feel like I've already waited too long. Today made me realize that I love you deeply and, now, I want to be with you."


	6. Chapter 6

Okay smut hounds! Your hour has come! If smut isn't your thing, feel free to pick back up at the next chapter. Thanks to all those who take the time to review, especially those that review multiple chapters. Writers love that, myself included. :) All of your kind words are much appreciated.

Chapter 6

She squeezed her hands around his. "Please?" she asked.

"I'll go anywhere with you," he whispered. She led him down the hallway to her room.

"Have I told you how much I love my room? It's exactly like I'd pictured." She looked around and when she turned to face him again, there was a glint of mischievousness in her eyes. "We're really going to do this?"

"Only if you want to," Henry said.

"I'm ready. I promise." Elizabeth stepped closer to him and lightly skimmed her fingers up his bare chest. She let out a shaky breath before closing the distance and placing feather light kisses above the tuft of hair that grew there. She felt the draw deep within her and she looked up at Henry.

"I love you," she whispered. Gliding her hands up his chest, she ran her fingers up and into Henry's hair, pulling his head down to meet hers. Their foreheads touched before Henry turned into her and captured her top lip. He was strong, but not forceful and Elizabeth relaxed into him. His hands roamed her back, holding her close. Their tongues sought out the other and moved slowly, savoring the moment.

She wiggled against him and he released her. Taking half a step back, she shed her shirt and shoved her flannel pants down her hips, letting them fall in a pile at her feet. She shuffled, kicking them out of the way, and stood before him clad only in a pair of soft pink lace panties. Henry's heart stopped beating.

Elizabeth looked up at him wide eyes. "What?" She sounded unsure of herself.

"You're just-perfect, and I want this to be perfect for you." She smiled softly and Henry stepped into her this time. Holding her close, he pressed kisses along her hairline and let his hands dance down her back, landing on her ass. He squeezed her butt and pulled her into his growing erection.

She gasped, arousal pumping through her. She wanted this so much. Henry moved them toward the bed, stopping at the side to pull the covers back. She climbed into the middle of the bed, tucking her legs under her. "Are you coming?" she asked, a grin creeping up on her face.

Henry paused, then leaped forward, tackling her and pinning her to the bed. She laughed, but when her eyes caught his, she immediately quieted. She swallowed her nervousness. "Make love to me Henry."

His mouth was on hers, stealing her breath. Henry shifted, moving his thigh between her legs. Making contact, Elizabeth rocked her hips into his leg seeking relief for the pressure that had been building there for quite a while.

Henry trailed sloppy kisses down her neck, along her collarbone, to her breast. Elizabeth was purring under his touch. He swirled his tongue around her nipple, bringing it to a hard peak, and then sucked it gently.

His hands weren't idle. Leaning on an elbow, his fingers massaged her free breast while the other hand danced down her belly, eventually brushing up and down her inner thigh. She wanted him inside her. The humming in the back of her throat morphed into moaning, and when he switched sides and started sucking her other nipple, she cried out, bucking into him.

"Patience, baby, We've got all night." His hot breath felt cool on her moistened breast and she shivered, both from the chill and the anticipation.

Henry's hand danced at the hem of her panties, gently caressing the skin there, stoking the already blazing fire between her legs. "Henry, please," she begged, pushing his hand beneath the waistband of the pink undergarment. He combed through the closely cropped hair before swiping a finger between her folds. Covered in her slickness, Henry focused his attention on Elizabeth's clit, circling around it softly while kissing her hard, his tongue buried in her mouth. Elizabeth ripped her mouth away from him, gasping for breath as he narrowed the diameter coming incrementally closer to where she needed him. When he was close and she thought she was going to get relief, he moved his fingers down and plunged two deep inside her.

"Oh fuck," she screamed, unprepared for the sting of being entered so suddenly. She wrapped her hands around his wrist and held him in place while he curled his fingers inside her.

"Ah-ah-ahhhh," she moaned. "God. I-I can't. Oh God." She felt herself being wound tighter and tighter. Then Henry pressed his thumb against her clit and she snapped. She arched her back into the sensation, still feeling Henry's fingers moving inside of her, drawing out her pleasure. Finally, falling back to the bed, she took a deep breath, unaware that she had been holding it.

She felt Henry pull his fingers from her and take the waistband of her panties and drag them down. On reflex, Elizabeth pushed her hips off the bed so he could get them off easier. Elizabeth opened her eyes to Henry towering over her. His gaze was full of lust and new found love. Reaching up with one hand, she stroked his cheek. "Thank you."

Henry dipped down and kissed her softly. "For?" he asked, moving to rest on his elbows, letting her take some of his weight.

"For waiting on me to get my shit together and realize what we have." Elizabeth said.

"Oh, that. I would've waited for you forever."

"And for giving me a pretty amazing first orgasm," she grinned up at him and lifted her head to peck him on the lips.

"Wait," Henry pulled back a little to get a better look at her. "I thought you weren't-"

"I'm not." She cut him off. "But just because I've had sex doesn't mean that I had an orgasm. The two don't go hand in hand. I promise." She gave him a little one shoulder shrug.

"That's a shame, but don't plan on it being like that. I'll work extra hard to make sure that doesn't happen again."

Elizabeth giggled. "Don't make promises you can't keep Mr. McCord." He mumbled something, but it came out muffled against her lips as his tongue danced around waiting for her to invite him in. She quickly obliged, pulling away only to shriek when he shifted his legs, positioning them so that hers were spread apart. His penis was pressed to her center, only the cotton of his boxers separating them.

"Do you have a-" she murmured.

"Yeah. Hold on." He rolled off of her and she groaned at the loss as he crawled off the bed and retreated to his room. Returning only a moment later, he had the condom in hand. Having dropped his boxers, he sat on the edge of the bed and started to tear open the foil packet.

"Wait," she said. "I want to do something. Scoot over here." She directed him to lay across the bed. He looked at her quizzically, but did as he was told. "I've never done this before, so you might have to tell me how to do it right."

Elizabeth moved next to Henry, tangling her legs with his, but propped herself up on one hand so that she had a good view of his face. Leaning in, she kissed him and ran her hand up the inside of his thigh, taking hold of his penis, rubbing her thumb over the tip. Henry's hips bucked up into her hand and she started gently pumping him.

Elizabeth carefully watched his face as his eyes slipped closed and his mouth hung open, a steady hum coming from the back of his throat. She pressed her legs together hoping to relieve the pressure that was once again building. Her hand felt wet and she looked to find a small amount of semen trickling out. Without thinking, she bent down,and licked if off, wrapping her lips around his tip, sucking gently. He immediately pushed her back.

"What?" she asked, a little embarrassment creeping in, thinking she had done something wrong. "I'm sorry."

"Not that." He rolled and pinned her to the bed. "It felt amazing, but much more and I would have been done for the evening, and we have other plans." He grinned at her and she returned it.

"We do," she whispered, hooking her hand around his neck and pulling him down. "I really want you." Henry shifted away and picked up the condom, opened it, and unrolled it over his shaft. Henry moved back to her and Elizabeth wiggled her hips in anticipation.

Henry moved himself through her folds, coating his tip with her arousal. They both groaned. "Are you ready?" he asked. Elizabeth nodded and hooked a knee over his hip, letting her other leg fall open to the side.

She sucked in a sharp breath as he entered her, surprised by the pain that accompanied the action. "Just don't move for a second. You're big," she mumbled, her eyes squeezed shut, waiting a few beats for the sting to subside. "Okay."

"You're sure?" Henry asked, worried he would hurt her further.

"I'm okay, really. It's fine," she said, acclimating to the feeling of fullness. The flutter in her muscles returned, and when he didn't move, she opened her eyes and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him in deeper. "Go," she growled.

Henry started to say something about her bossiness, but as he pulled back and pushed back into her, the grip she had on his cock left him speechless. He rested his forehead against hers and started a steady rhythm.

His thrusts became erratic and she knew he was close, but she wasn't. That was fine with her, the orgasm earlier was a surprise and better than expected. She was ripped from her thoughts when suddenly, Henry shifted and rolled them over. She was now on top.

Elizabeth didn't move. She was unsure about this change. "You alright babe?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

"I haven't done this. I don't want to do it wrong." Elizabeth was annoyed that she sounded so unsure. She hated it when she couldn't control her reactions.

"You won't. Do what feels good. I'm sure I'll be fine." He grinned at her and then tilted her head so he could kiss her passionately. He pushed her shoulders and she sat up, already feeling how much deeper he was.

Slowly she rose up and slid back down, and Henry rewarded her with a deep moan. She repeated it several times, but couldn't get a good rhythm going. Henry gripped her hips. "Try this," he said, and pulled her forward and then pushed her back.

She did it again, and felt a flutter deep within her. Before she thought too much about it, she was grinding into him, chasing her release. Unable to hold off any longer, Henry slipped his fingers where they were joined and stroked her. Elizabeth arched her back, coming hard, and Henry grabbed her waist and pushed into her one last time. Nothing moved for a period of time, and then she sucked in large amounts of air and collapsed onto his chest.

As their breathing returned to normal, Henry rolled her off of him so he could dispose of the condom. Crawling back into the bed, he tugged the covers over them and wrapped his arms around her. Elizabeth started giggling.

"What?" he asked. "I thought it was pretty good for a first time."

"It was fabulous, and I'm just happy." She quieted, and Henry wondered if she was thinking about her parents. She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Will you stay with me?"

"Tonight?" he asked

"Forever."

"I can't think of anywhere I would rather be. I love you Elizabeth Adams." He held her close and they drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Just a couple more chapters after this one. I hope you enjoy the fluff. I'll be fluffed out for the next couple of stories at least. LOL Your reviews are awesome and make me smile. :)

Chapter 7

May 1987

"Hen-ry," Elizabeth yelled from the dining room.

Henry popped his head in. "What babe?"

"Don't babe me. I've got a final exam in thirty minutes and I cannot find the coffee. Where the hell did you-"

Henry cut her off. "Whoa there!" He leaned in close to where she was standing and moved a roll of paper towels to reveal the bag of coffee grounds. "It's right here." Wrapping an arm around her waist, she kissed her cheek. "Do you want me to make some?"

Elizabeth looked at her watch and huffed before pinching the bridge of her nose, tamping down her anger. "I'm not ready for this test, and the state of this house is driving me bonkers."

Henry moved into the kitchen and poured the grounds into the coffee filter before running water into the pot. "You know I could say something about that," he called. Pouring the water into the machine, he turned it on and turned back to see Elizabeth in the doorway.

"Just because you could, doesn't mean you should-not if you value your life." He laughed and stepped closer, pecking her on the lips. Moving back to the coffee maker, which was balanced on a piece of plywood where the counter had once been, he quickly swapped a mug for the pot and turned to Elizabeth holding the half full pot.

"Where's your cup, babe?" he asked. She groaned and turned back to the dining room. Barely two seconds passed before there was a crash and she cursed loudly. Glancing in the sink, he saw her cup and called out, "I found it." He quickly rinsed it out, filled it, and poured in the requisite amount of cream and sugar.

"All set," he said, handing the cup to Elizabeth. "You'll do great. Want to meet me afterwards for lunch? I'll make PB&Js and we can eat in the park."

"I love you so much. Do you know that?" she whispered, burying her head into the crook of his neck.

"You should. Now get out of here and go rock your final. I'll see you on our bench at noon."

She tipped her head up and kissed him sweetly. "I'll be there."

Elizabeth was exhausted by the time she finished her final, but she mustered the energy to make the trek across campus. Henry was sitting on their bench, a paper bag by his side. Just the sight of him, filled Elizabeth with joy. She didn't ever remember being this happy. Even though she was tired from all of the studying, this was the best part of her week.

"Hey handsome," she said sitting next to him. "How's your last paper coming?"

"I finished this morning. How was your test?"

"Better than I thought it would be. Thank you for this morning. I know I was acting a little crazed." She leaned closer and wrapped her arms around the arm closest to her and hugged it, laying her cheek on his shoulder.

"Is that what we're calling it now?" he smirked. He turned his head, placing a kiss in her hair. "It's a good thing I love you."

"It is, so could you feed me?" she asked, laughing. Henry grinned and pulled a sandwich from the bag and handed it to her.

They ate mostly in silence, but as Elizabeth finished her sandwich she finally spoke, knowing that she was likely opening a can of worms. "I've been thinking about the cabinets again."

"Not again," Henry moaned. "We've been through this a dozen times and the guy is coming to measure the countertop tomorrow."

"I'm canceling. We're going to go look at new kitchen cabinets this weekend," she said. Henry didn't bother to hide his displeasure.

"I thought you said that the cabinets were fine, that we just needed to paint them."

She looked up at him shyly. "I did say that, but I the more I think about it, the more I think cherry cabinets would look really nice." She tilted her head, waiting for his response.

Henry took a ragged breath. "You mean like the cherry cabinets I pointed out two weeks ago that you said you didn't like because they were too dark? Those cherry cabinets? You are exasperating. You do know that,right?"

"I should. You say it often enough." She looked up at him and grinned. "So you'll go with me to the cabinet shop on Saturday?"

"We've been there so often that I'm hoping to make their Christmas card list," Henry lamented. Elizabeth giggled and gave him a playful shove.

"What else is in that bag?" Henry set it on her lap and she looked inside and pulled out a small bag of potato chips.

"Are you really mad?" she asked finally, after a bit of silence.

"Annoyed, yes, but not mad. I just don't understand why you change your mind five times on every decision I think we make, and half the time we end up exactly where we started."

Elizabeth shrugged. "I just want it to look good, and there are a lot of things that I think will look good. I don't know."

"It will look good, babe. It already looks fabulous." Henry pulled Elizabeth to his side. "You've done a wonderful job. They would be proud. And you've done it all while working hard in school and getting good grades."

"You think so?" she asked.

Henry looked down at his girlfriend and was still amazed how, in one moment, she could be so confident, and then the next, need reassurance. "I know so, and yes, I'll go with you, but this is it. Once you order thousands of dollars in cabinets, there is no going back."

"I know."

On Saturday, they celebrated the end of finals week by spending a couple hours in the cabinet store. Mark, the _cabinet consultant_, as he preferred to be called, had just laid another ridiculous design in front of Elizabeth and she was considering it. Henry sighed, "Can you give us a moment?" he asked, his tone terse.

Mark shot Henry an annoyed look before retreating to the back room. "That was rude," Elizabeth murmured under her breath.

"Not nearly as rude as I wanted to be," Henry said. "Look. You're getting talked into something you don't want or need."

Elizabeth bristled and folded her arms across her body. Henry could tell that she was holding back from spouting a snide remark, which he considered progress. "I just want you to take a moment to think big picture here." He watched as she took a deep breath and dropped her eyes. He smiled. She was becoming more open to listening, not that it meant she would go with what he wanted, but she'd at least listen to what he had to say.

"Babe, before you decide on anything, think about what you said you wanted." He pushed the various sketches away, so they were out of Elizabeth's line of sight.

Elizabeth sighed. She knew where Henry was going with this line of questioning and it annoyed her that he was right. She had sort of gotten hung up on the novelty of new and better, when that was exactly the opposite of what she really wanted. She closed her eyes and felt Henry slip his hand around hers.

"I want it to be open and welcoming, and have an island that uses the wood planks that we found in the garage, and a big pantry cabinet where all the food can go." Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked at Henry. "And I know I said I wanted the cherry cabinets, but I really like the white cabinets better."

"Good. Now let's look at these plans and see which one gives you the kitchen you want." They poured over the two dozen plans that Mark had attempted to sell Elizabeth. Most were quickly dismissed and they narrowed it down to two, but Elizabeth kept waffling on which one she liked best.

Henry leaned in and whispered, "Close your eyes and tell me which one you can imagine yourself coming home to when you're exhausted from a long day."

Elizabeth's lips curled into a devilish smile. "The one that has you standing in it."

"That's easy then, because I'm standing in this one." Henry pointed to the design on the left, which happened to be his favorite.

Elizabeth grabbed his shirt collar, dragging him closer so she could whisper. "And when it's finished, I'll expect to come home one day to find you wearing an apron au naturale and we'll christen that room spectacularly." She released Henry, who sat speechless. "Mark. I think we have a winner," Elizabeth called out.

"You damn right we do," Henry muttered as Mark approached.

The kitchen was essentially out of commission another two months, but in that time, Henry and Elizabeth built an island for the kitchen. The sides were made from planks that Elizabeth's father had stored in the garage. Elizabeth couldn't remember what they'd been saved for, but she didn't want to throw them away and this seemed to be the perfect use.

Henry and Elizabeth did all of the demolition and installed the tile. Henry insisted that they hire a crew to come in and hang the cabinets and install the countertops. It was a day in mid July when Elizabeth was working at a stable down the road, that the appliances arrived and Henry had the opportunity to put the final touches on everything before she came home.

When she walked into the house, it was eerily quiet. She moved through the living room, dining room and into the kitchen. A vase of fresh flowers from the backyard adorned the kitchen island. The soft gray stone countertops played off of the light blue walls and white cabinets. The white appliances looked pristine in their new space.

A gasp escaped her lips. "It's gorgeous," she murmured.

"Do you like it?" Henry asked, stepping off the bottom step and hugging her from behind.

"I can't believe it. It looks even better than I imagined."

"And now we get to break it in." He ran his tongue along her ear before sucking her earlobe.

"What are you cooking?" she asked, excitement in her voice.

"I'm not sure. I don't know how hungry I'll be after I feast on you." Henry spun Elizabeth to face him and she saw that he was only wearing an apron, tied low on his hips.

Her face immediately flushed bright red and she stuttered. "I-I was joking. I didn't-oh, God-I didn't really mean it."

"Well that makes one of us." Then his lips were on hers and within seconds, all inhibitions had been thrown out the window as Elizabeth pulled her shirt over her head and took hold of the apron string.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: This fandom is awesome! I really struggle with worrying about what it will look like after the show ends, but like Elizabeth, I try not to let those fears take over. All of your reviews are awesome. I apologize up front-there is no apron scene. You'll just have to use your imagination. But I do throw another M rated nugget in there, so I hope you enjoy that. Happy reading!

Chapter 8

Systematically, Elizabeth and Henry completely remodeled the entire house. After the massive kitchen undertaking, they took a week off, but found themselves itching to take on a new project. The jack and jill bathroom was taken to the studs and drywall put in, along with a new tub, toilet and vanity. Elizabeth became a very skilled tilemaster and Henry honed his plumbing skills. Since they both had summer jobs, they mostly devoted weekends to the project. It took a month, but no one used that bathroom, so it wasn't inconvenient, and it was nice to be able to shut the door on the mess and not have it invade their space.

With that skill set under their belts, they tackled the master bath. After a couple weeks of looking in stores and in remodeling idea books, Elizabeth and Henry were nowhere near agreement on what would work best.

Elizabeth had insisted that Henry be involved in the planning, especially since it was the bathroom he used as well. But to Henry, it seemed that Elizabeth wanted to argue him out of every suggestion he made. There was only one thing he really wanted in the bathroom and he quickly realized that he wasn't going to be able to convince her with words, so he devised a plan to use other means.

MSMSMSMSMSMSMS

September 1987

Elizabeth pulled into the driveway on Friday afternoon and sighed, letting her body slump into the seat. She tried to gear up for all of the work she and Henry had ahead of them. Closing her eyes, she worked to muster the energy to get out of the car. She and Henry had been going round and round about the bathroom and she really just wanted a break. At the same time, Elizabeth knew that was unlikely because of all the work they needed to do.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself for a long weekend of decisions and arguments, when the car door opened, jolting her. "Hey babe," Henry said, squatting down beside her. "I was just about to move my car out of the garage. You can pull in and then we're leaving."

"What are you talking about? Leaving to go where? I'm not dressed for the hardware store. These don't even have paint on them." Elizabeth looked longingly at her last pair of jeans that hadn't succumbed to the home remodel.

"We aren't doing anything house related," Henry paused, before winking at her. "yet. You can wear what you have on. There's popcorn in the car, because I know you're hungry. Just pull your car into the garage when I back out, ok?" Henry leaned in a pecked her on the lips. "It will be worth it. I promise."

Stepping back, he shut the door and jogged up the driveway and hopped into his car and backed it out. Elizabeth pulled in, got out of the car, and waved to Henry before running into the house. Henry groaned. He was trying to keep Elizabeth out of the house, because now it would take longer and she would ask more questions. He was surprised when she appeared moments later. "I just had to pee," she said, piling into the passenger seat. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. Now sit back and eat your popcorn." On the first hour of the drive, Elizabeth questioned Henry incessantly about what he was up to. Finally giving up, she fell asleep, her head against the door and her hand wrapped tightly around Henry's.

Two more hours passed before Henry slowed down, pulling into a resort. Elizabeth blinked her eyes, shifted to sit up straight and squirmed in the seat to stretch. "Where are we?" she asked, yawning.

"Virginia Beach. We're spending the weekend." Henry watched and grinned as Elizabeth furrowed her brow.

"We can't afford to spend the time or the money on a frivolous weekend."

"Yes we can. You need a break." Henry quickly amended that. "We need a break." With that, he opened his door and got out. Pulling their overnight bag from the trunk, he rounded the car and opened Elizabeth's door. "Come on." He extended his hand toward her, which she reluctantly took.

"Henry, I don't think-" Elizabeth's words were cut off when he covered her lips with his.

He grinned at her when he pulled back "You're right. You shouldn't think. Now come on." Henry half dragged Elizabeth along behind him and once inside the lobby, sent her to the restaurant to get them a table while he checked in.

Once she was out of sight, Henry turned to the clerk. "You're sure this suite has a shower with a bench?" The man nodded.

"And a jetted tub, sir." Henry took the key from the man, thanking him, and made his way to Elizabeth. After sharing an appetizer, Henry gathered their belongings and lead her to their room. It was in an adjacent building and when Henry turned the key and pushed the door open, Elizabeth gasped. The soft cream furniture was punctuated with navy nautical accents with 2 sets of large French doors, one leading to the beach and the other leading to the bedroom.

"Henry. This is gorgeous." She made her way to the doors leading outside. There was a small wooden patio with 2 chairs and a bistro table, which connected to the wood planked walkway leading down to the beach. The sun setting behind them cast shadows on the ocean as small waves rolled into the shore. Elizabeth spun around suddenly. "We need to get out there. Do you see how beautiful it is?"

"I see how beautiful you are." He folded her into an embrace. "Do you want to change first?"

Elizabeth looked down at her jeans and then out at the water. "I'd better. You too." Henry released her and moved to unzip the bag he brought, ,pulling out her bikini and his trunks. Elizabeth snatched her things out of his hand and dashed into the bathroom. Henry stepped into the bedroom.

She immediately called out through the mostly closed door. "Hey this shower has a bench. You should be ecstatic."

"Oh really? That's nice," he smirked to himself. Moments later, she joined him, wearing the tiniest bikini she owned, beaming ear to ear.

"Nice choice," she remarked, sauntering over to Henry pressing her bare abdomen against his, pecking him on the lips. "Let's go."

They sat on beach towels leaning lazily against each other, silently watching the waves roll in and out along the shore, as the sun set behind them. Once it was nearly dark and the horizon line of the ocean had turned black,they made their way back to their room.

"I'm starving," Elizabeth whined, as she picked up the room service menu. After ordering, they cuddled together on the couch while flipping through TV channels, passing the time. Their food arrived and they ate in silence.

Once finished, Henry moved the dishes away and pulled Elizabeth's feet into his lap and massaged them. She melted into the couch letting herself relax in a way she seldom did. Henry finished and scooped the almost sleeping Elizabeth up and carried her to bed. When he climbed in beside her, Elizabeth sought him out, snuggling her body next to his. He wrapped an arm protectively over her, kissed her forehead, and fell asleep.

Early the next morning, Henry woke to the sound of running water. He couldn't keep from smiling. This was a little earlier in the weekend than he'd imagined, but he figured one must act when the opportunity presented itself. He rolled out of bed and had his hand on the bathroom doorknob, just about to go in, when the water turned off.

It only took a second to process, but just as Henry started to push the door open, Elizabeth pulled it back, startling them both. After shrieking and laughing through it, she caught his gaze, giving him a sly smile. "Did you have a plan McCord?"

He shot her a grin. "I did. I needed to use the bathroom." He stepped around her towel covered body, lightly pressing a kiss to her shoulder as he passed. She returned the smile, letting him go by..

"I will concede that it was much easier to shave my legs sitting down," she called out to him, as she finished drying off. She heard him groan and smirked to herself. It was such a fun game they were playing.

The couple spent the morning walking the beach and digging for sand dollars. Making their way to a quaint row of shops, they found a small deli and took their lunch to a bench at the edge of a community park. Elizabeth finished eating and put her trash back in the bag and turned to Henry, studying him intensely.

"What?" he asked, feeling her eyes on him.

"I just wanted to say thank you," she said softly. Henry looked over, puzzled. "Thank you for caring for me. There was quite a long period of time when I didn't think I'd ever want that again. Then you showed up, and I was scared to accept it." She paused, before trying to explain. "When it's ripped away from you, it's just…" She stopped, still truly unable to vocalize the level of despair in those first couple of years after her parents died.

Henry nodded his understanding. "I can't shield you from every pain, but I can promise that you will never again have to bear it alone." Slipping his hand around hers, he stood, tugging her along with him. Elizabeth snaked her arm around his waist, and his went around her shoulders and they leaned into each other, silently walking back toward the resort.

The rest of the day was spent sitting poolside or cuddled on the couch watching a sappy cable movie. There was no talk of the house and what they still needed to do or decisions to be made about the bathroom. Elizabeth once mentioned the bathroom renovation, but found Henry's mouth covering her own, swallowing first her words, then all of her coherent thoughts on the subject.

It was early evening when Henry asked Elizabeth if she wanted to go to dinner or order it in. When she responded that she wasn't hungry, Henry was immediately concerned. It wasn't like Elizabeth to not want to eat. Then when she excused herself to the bathroom, Henry became convinced that she wasn't feeling well. After a few minutes, Henry lightly knocked on the door to make sure she was okay.

She immediately opened the door and gave him a cheeky grin. Henry's eyes went wide as he took in a completely nude Elizabeth standing in front of him. "It took you long enough. I'm going to take a shower to get the chlorine out of my hair. Want to watch?" She started to turn, but paused long enough to give him a wink. "You know, since we have spectator seating and all." She gestured toward the shower.

Henry swore he could feel his blood flow redirect from his brain to his groin. Damn if she wasn't sexy. He blew out a long breath. "Depends. You know I'm not a fan of crowds," he said, seriously.

Elizabeth smirked. "Private showing. By invitation only."

"In that case," Henry didn't finish the sentence, instead, closing the distance. Before Elizabeth could react, Henry had her pinned to the wall, the icy, porcelain subway tiles directly competing with the heat emanating from Henry's body. He held her wrists above her head with one hand and reached into the shower, turning on the water with the other. Ghosting over her lips, he whispered, "You are magnificent."

The cotton of his shirt rubbed against her nipples, hardening them and she could feel his penis through his swim trunks pressing against her belly button. Her vision was hazy and she instinctively arched her back, pressing her ass into the wall like a bow at full draw, ready to release the arrow.

She pushed off the wall into Henry, forcing him to take a step back. He released her and she immediately moved to tug his t-shirt over his head. "This is my show. Remember that."

Henry started to laugh, but she stifled it with a kiss while slipping her fingers into the waistband of his trunks and pushing them down. As they fell to the floor, she stepped away and pulled the shower door all the way open. Stepping under the flow of hot water, she ran her hands through her hair. "You coming?" she asked, eyeing him lustily.

Henry quickly moved to join Elizabeth, running his hands up her sides, but she nudged him away. "Sit," she commanded. He smirked, but moved to sit on the bench where she pointed.

From that point on, Henry watched as Elizabeth moved her body as if dancing to a song only she could hear. Her hips swayed and her hands glided over her body, each movement making him harder, until his cock was throbbing painfully.

He dug his fingers into his thighs as his breathing became more shallow. "Please." He wasn't above begging. He needed her.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "You want this?" Her voice was thick and husky. Her hand slipped between her legs, and her eyes briefly closed, reveling in the feeling. She opened them to see Henry wrap his fingers around his rock hard cock and pump himself as their eyes met.

In that split second, Elizabeth had to decide if she was going to continue her ruse or give into the passion that bubbled within her. Ultimately, she wanted him too much, She moved to him and knelt on the bench, straddling his legs. Elizabeth swatted his hand away and wrapped her own slender fingers around his member and began stroking him in a steady rhythm. Henry's head fell back and he moaned, moving to run his hands over her body. Reveling in the sensation of her intimate touch and her hot breath at his ear. He took her nipple in his mouth, pinching and tugging the other until the sensation made her buck into him.

Elizabeth released him and placed her mouth on his, kissing him hard. Shifting forward, she lowered herself onto him. Ripping away from his lips, she gasped and groaned, pushing him deep within her. Water cascaded over her shoulders, making her skin glisten under the light overhead. Henry was overwhelmed by his feelings for Elizabeth and buried his head against her shoulder. His teeth sunk into her flesh when she ground into him, clenching around his cock and holding it captive. Elizabeth pulled him away and looked into his eyes as she started to move..

Henry gripped her hips and assisted her in sliding up and down his shaft. Both moaned loudly as. Elizabeth grew more comfortable, rolling her hips, grinding down into him, until her thighs quivered and she felt his tip rub the spot deep within her, her muscles clamping down, sending her over the edge. Henry came seconds later and they clung to each other waiting for their climax to subside.

Henry softened and pulled out. Kissing her lightly, he stood them both up and moved to get the shampoo to wash Elizabeth's hair

As he massaged her scalp, Elizabeth couldn't remember the last time she was so relaxed. She was completely in awe of the deep love she felt for this man who always seemed to know what she needed before she did.

When he finished rinsing her hair, she turned to face him. She kissed him deeply, trying to convey the gratitude she had for him and the universe that had brought him to her after having taken so much away. She felt a sense of peace that she hadn't in so long.

Wordlessly, they washed each other and rinsed before finally turning off the water. Stepping out, they dried and Henry moved to the bedroom,but quickly returned with clothes for Elizabeth. She tugged the t-shirt and sweatpants over her slightly damp body and clipped her hair up so as not to get her shirt wet.

She started to speak. "I'm-"

"Chinese take out?" he asked.

"Sounds wonderful." She grinned.

An hour later, take out cartons littered the small table on their patio and they both stared out across the ocean. In her newly relaxed state, Elizabeth did something she rarely allowed herself to do. She thought about the future.

"Do you ever wonder what it will look like after us?" Elizabeth asked finally. It was a needling thought she'd been struggling with since the moment she admitted to herself that she had feelings for Henry, but normally she couldn't let herself go there. Too many other things crowded her mind to let that take root, but now the fear was back and growing by the second.

"No," Henry's expression was a cross between confused and dismayed.

Elizabeth suddenly was unable to hold eye contact. She felt guilty having these thoughts when it now seemed that Henry didn't. "I mean you're going away in a few months and you'll be doing new things with new people and I'll just be the same old me doing the same old things back home. And I'll be stuck here for two years while you're out living your life." She felt the pressure of what would become tears building in her chest and it annoyed her. She tried to push that feeling back down.

"I just don't want to hold you back," she murmured. "I love you too much to do that."

In an instant, Henry was kneeling in front of her. "Babe, the only after us will be the legacy we leave behind in our children and grandchildren. I know things have happened-things that make it hard to get past the loss, but I'm telling you." He cupped her face and held her in place so she couldn't look away. "I'm telling you that I'm not going anywhere in life without you by my side. I will have to leave, but I will always come back to you. I love you more than anything. Please, Elizabeth, please put that fear to rest."

Henry felt the tears wet his hands as they rolled down her cheeks. "I try. I really do, but it's just there in the back of my mind. When I think too much-feel too happy-it's there. It's the knowledge that it could all be taken in an instant." She rested her forehead against his, and he still held her face.

After a moment, he released her, kissing the top of her head. "Let's enjoy the sunset. Come."

Henry and Elizabeth spent the rest of the evening walking and just being. Not many words were said. They didn't need to be.

The drive home Sunday afternoon was carefree and joyful with the couple singing along to the radio and eating gas station junk food instead of lunch. Arriving back home, they quickly settled into their normal routine of getting ready for classes and preparing for the week.

When Henry climbed into bed to join Elizabeth, he leaned over to kiss her goodnight, he spoke quietly, "Thank you for allowing me to give you this weekend. I needed it."

"We needed it. Thank you for kidnapping me. I would've refused to go otherwise," she mused.

Henry chuckled, "That's why I didn't tell you where we were going. Goodnight." He kissed her chastely and laid back.

Elizabeth snuggled in next to his shoulder and rested her hand against his heart. "Goodnight."

The next morning, Elizabeth was already up and gone before Henry woke. When he meandered downstairs to pour a cup of coffee, he noticed the remodeling magazines strewn across the kitchen table. He sighed, wondering what time Elizabeth got up. He made his way over to the table to see what she'd been working on and a wide smile broke out across his face. Several books with bathroom floor plans were open and she'd scribbled out a note.

_Think we can make this happen?_ There was an arrow drawn to one picture with a completely tiled shower with a bench. _You know for obvious reasons… Like me shaving my legs! _She even drew the winky face to go with it.

Henry laughed. "Mission accomplished," he mumbled. "For obvious reasons."


	9. Chapter 9

AN: And this is it, the epilogue. Many thanks to all those that read and reviewed, I appreciate it very much. I hope you enjoy the conclusion.

Chapter 9

October 1988

Elizabeth sat in her swing in the backyard. She stared at the new deck that she and Henry had built together in May, over those few short weeks before she'd sent him off to boot camp. She tried to recapture that warm feeling of home that connected her to this house. In her youth, she never realized that it was a special feeling. It was just how it was.

Then, her parents died and she was forced to move away, go to a new school, forge new relationships. She did so with grace, but she never could quite capture the feeling that she had growing up. It was a feeling she attributed to her home, the place she felt safest.

When Aunt Joan tried to persuade Elizabeth to sell the house, the older woman had no idea how badly Elizabeth would react. Joan thought the stalemate would never end, but couldn't believe her ears when Elizabeth approached her with the idea of buying Will out. Joan thought Elizabeth was crazy to think that she could remodel a house on her own. Of course, Elizabeth Adams was the most stubborn person Joan had ever encountered, so if anyone would do it, even if just for spite, it would be Elizabeth.

She felt better once she was back in the house, but it wasn't the same. Elizabeth found though, that as she and Henry remodeled room after room, things fell into place. At the time, she'd decided that it was because finishing a room gave her a sense of satisfaction and it was something that would have made her parents proud.

Over the past year, she'd never been happier. The house was, for all intents and purposes, finished, and she and Henry just spent time together. That was especially important to her, knowing that he'd promised to give his life to the Marines for the next four to six years. Elizabeth would miss him terribly, but at least she'd have the house.

The October wind kicked up, and pulled her from her memories. Wrapping her flannel covered arms around herself tightly, she sighed. It had been so hard when Henry first left. Nothing at home felt the same. She cleaned,rearranged the furniture, and even repainted a bedroom and redecorated it. Studying the deck, she remembered the two of them working side by side-arguing about how to set the footers. Of course, Henry was right. He was almost always right about such things. Once she'd learned to listen instead of immediately argue, he could explain his point of view and she would understand and agree, most of the time.

Henry became very adept at the art of persuading Elizabeth Adams. She laughed, thinking of the Virginia Beach trip, which she was convinced had the sole purpose of getting her talked into adding a bench in the shower. She smiled wryly. It was a good addition. He was right yet again.

It was only now, feeling the warmth surrounding her when she thought of Henry, she realized that her feelings of contentment had nothing to do with the house. It was about the man sharing the house with her.

It was blatantly obvious, having had him back with her this past month and then sending him away again. Since her parents died, she thought their house was the place where she would always feel safe. Now, she knew. Henry was her home, her safe place.

Elizabeth stood and made her way back into the house, admiring the deck as she walked across it. If they could build a house together, they could most certainly build a life.

MSMSMSMSMSMSMS

June 1990

Elizabeth couldn't help feeling like she'd just done this, but it was nearly four years ago that she'd walked through the door of this empty house. As she had entered each room, she saw herself as a child, and she desperately wanted to recreate that feeling. Now, standing in the doorway of the empty living room, Elizabeth remembered that first day Henry worked, how he'd stood up and looked at her. He was so hot, but the way he studied her, his eyes made her stomach flutter. He could still do that.

Moving room to room, she could still retrieve the memories of her parents and Will, but it was the memories she had made with Henry that made her smile.

Elizabeth felt Henry's presence before she saw him. He wrapped arms around her, pressing her back into his chest. "The moving truck is loaded." Henry said, "You, alright?"

"Yeah, just thinking about all this house has been through." She quickly wiped a tear, not wanting Henry to see.

"Babe, I know this is hard, but you said it was time. Are you having second thoughts?" She could hear the worry in his voice. She let out a shaky breath.

"No," she shook her head and straightened her shoulders. "No second thoughts. It is time for me to move on. Besides, I'm taking the most important part of this house with me." Henry looked at her curiously. "You, silly." Elizabeth poked him in the ribs, before turning serious. "I will follow you to the ends of the earth, Henry McCord."

He kissed her softly and led her outside. The moving truck sat on the street in front of the house, with Henry's car on a tow rack behind it. Elizabeth's car sat in the driveway, packed full of miscellaneous items. Elizabeth took in the neatly manicured lawn and trimmed hedges and perfectly painted house and she thought back to the day of her return. That day had been bittersweet, as was this one, but both held the promise of hope.

Elizabeth let her eyes fall on the sold sign near the street and smiled. She thought about the newly married young couple that hoped to start a family here, just like her parents had so many years ago.

Suddenly, he head whipped around. "Wait! I forgot-" she stopped and headed toward the backyard. Henry followed. She immediately turned and grinned at Henry when she reached the back gate. "You remembered." Henry shrugged.

"The swing and rope ladder are in the passenger floorboard of your car. I just figured you'd want them."

"For our next house," she murmured. "Can I have a minute?" Henry nodded, squeezing her hand before retreating back around to the front.

Elizabeth wandered through the backyard and stood before the trees. Reaching out, she ran her hand over the bark, and looked back at the house. "Thank you," she whispered. "For everything." She stayed like that for a long moment and then turned and walked away. She waved for Henry to get in the truck and she got in her car. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out of the driveway and didn't look back. Her house was now in Washington DC, but her home would always be with Henry.


End file.
